This precious stone Perhaps it is appropriate that Britain’s referendum on EU membership takes place 400 years after the death of a man who may have done more than anyone to shape this nation’s view of itself. William Shakespeare put his best-known lines about his
Divided times If the populace knew with what idiocy they were ruled, they would revolt; or so said Charlemagne, the eighth century conqueror who united much of Europe under his rule and created the administrative geographies that would evolve into Germany, France and the Low
Plastic money Fourteen centuries after the Chinese court produced the first paper banknotes, the Bank of England has announced that it is retiring the £5 version. The £5 note first appeared 223 years ago, but from 13 September it will be going plastic, complete with an
Borrowed time In fiction as in history, debt has played a large role, from the plot of The Merchant of Venice to Britain’s funding of the Napoleonic Wars. Even if he never said it, Winston Churchill’s supposed line sums up the unthinking abandon with which individuals
A yen for growth The architect of the Bank of Japan building in Tokyo, completed in 1896, spent 14 months travelling around the West before finalising his design for a neo-Baroque landmark in Tokyo. Last week, scrutiny turned in the opposite direction. Japan reported that its economy
Watching from the wings Market participants tend to like their politicians quiet, predictable and acquiescent; in short, they like to be able to ignore them. In recent months they have not been able to do so, and last week politicians were particularly dominant. The US primary and
Slow motion Sometimes investing requires nerves, as Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha knows. In 2010, he bought Leicester City Football Club for £39 million. Promoted to the top flight in 2014, the ‘Foxes’ only narrowly avoided relegation last year. On Saturday, however, they lifted the trophy as Premier League
Dialling down One of the drawbacks of stock market regulations is the unintended effects they can have on prices, and even on corporate practice. Nowhere is this more pronounced than in the obligation for companies to publish quarterly reports, which provide an impetus for companies to
Heat and light The Saxe-Coburg-Gotha family can lay claim to quite a few European thrones through its history, and members of the clan still occupy them in Britain and Belgium. Last week, one of their number welcomed the US president to Windsor Castle to celebrate her
Signs of spring The benefit of hindsight is meant to be educational, but it can also provide some satisfaction. In mid-February, the MSCI World Index hit its lowest point since 2013, as fear spread and volatility spiked. Last week, it finally ended above where it had started
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